Collecchio, 2 January 2024 - The concept of work, transferred over onto the pitch, highlights an unquestionable number, strengthening Parma's first half of the season as leaders: the Gialloblù reached top spot by always fielding the youngest team in Serie B.

Fabio Pecchia's men, who collected 41 points in 19 matches (first time in the Club's history), have so far perfectly carried out the working philosophy indicated by the technical area and coach: the starting eleven has practically always been younger than their opponents, both in Serie B and Coppa Italia matches .

It's a fact that makes you reflect. Calculating the starting 11 fielded by Fabio Pecchia (he achieved the same result with Cremonese two seasons ago), Parma had an average age per match that was 19.1 years younger than their opponents, 31 considering only the three Coppa Italia Frecciarossa ties against two teams that are having a good year in Serie A (Lecce and Fiorentina).

Looking at the league campaign and analysing the average age of each single match, it is immediately clear that the 5-0 win over Catanzaro stands out, with a team that was 54 years younger than the one fielded by Vivarini. Such a large gap is also recorded in the victories against Ascoli (45 years) and Sudtirol (42). But out of 19 matches overall there are many matches where Parma is much younger than their eleven counterparts: with Modena (-38), but also with Feralpisalò (-28) or in the big games with Cremonese (- 20) and Palermo (-21).

In the Coppa Italia, the numbers remain identical: against Bari the difference was frighteningly large (-54), but also against Lecce and Fiorentina it remained evident, despite one team fighting for safety and the other for the Champions League spots at the top of Serie A. Parma had a 17-year difference against the Giallorossi and a difference of 24 against the Viola.

In terms of average age of the entire squad, Parma is second (alongside Sampdoria and Venezia) behind Spezia. Against D'Angelo's team they recorded the opposite data, i.e. with 15 years more, fielding the most 'experienced' starting eleven in the league so far (as well as with Venezia, +6, and Ternana, +5, the other only two exceptions in the entire first half of the season).

All of this is evidence of a continuity of work with young players that has not been affected by episodes or incidents along the way, but which has strengthened the work of the technical staff and the club while keeping on track towards a very precise goal. Next up is Ascoli, where our young leaders will have to defend another 'special' record: consecutive positive results at the Stadio Ennio Tardini. In the last 15 home games, the 'young' Parma have remained unbeaten in the regular season (where they have picked up ten wins and five draws in 2023). The last record belonged to D'Aversa's Parma side, in the 2017/18 season, with 16. It is just one more reason for Pecchia's youngsters to emulate that winning team.